Shelf.



T. M. CARNEY.

SHELF.

APPLlCATlON FI LED MAR. 7. 1914.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

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-- THOMAS M. CARNEY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

' SHELF.

" Specification of *Letters- Patent. Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

.. .App1ication fi1ed March 7, 1914. Serial No; 823,086.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS M. CARNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shelves, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in shelves, and While susceptible of other uses is intended more particularly to supplant the hammocks now in general use for supporting garments in sleeping-car berths.

When in use the shelves are hung from the side walls of the sleeper, and when not in use are taken down and folded, so that they can be packed away with the bed clothes.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the shelf in position for use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shelf folded for storage. Fig. 3 is a broken section, enlarged, on line IIIIII of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a broken detail plan view of a hanger arm and a bracket employed in carrying out the invention.

The shelf proper 1, comprises two rectan-' gular sections 2 and 3, and mats 4 and 5, re-

spectively. The mats 4 and 5 are made preferably of wire netting for the purpose of durability. Sections 2 and 3 are secured together at their abutting ends 8 by hinge members 6, the pintles 7 of which are placed immediately below the upper portions of said abutting ends 8, which prevent the shelf from sagging at its central portion when in extended position, see Fig. 3.

Sections 2 and 3 have inner marginal flanges 9 and 10 with holes 11 and 12 to receive S-shaped hook-members 13 and 14, whereby the mats 4 and 5, respectively, are removably connected to the shelf. By thus connecting the wire mats to the shelf said wire mats can be readily replaced with others when worn out.

15 and 16 designate clips having sleeve parts swiveled upon the outer ends of the sections 2 and 3 for swinging against either side of the respective mats, said clips further being provided at their upper ends with sockets 17 and 18, respectively.

19 and 20 designate two hanger arms for supporting the forward portion of the shelf. Said hanger arms 19 and 20 have spherical lower ends 21 and 22 fitting in the sockets l7 and 18, respectively, and thus constituting universal, joints between said hanger arms and the clips. This arrangement permits the hanger arms 19 to be adjusted to the position shown by Fig. 1, or folded against the shelf as disclosed by Fig. 2. The upper ends of the hanger arms 19 and 20 have integral buttons 23 and 24 extending rearwardly therefrom to removably engage a pair of upper slotted brackets 25 and 26, respectively, adapted to be secured to the wall of the sleeper. Brackets 25 and 26 are open at their upper ends to receive the buttons 23 and 24, the shanks 27 and 28 of which extend through the. vertical slots 29 and 30 in said brackets 25 and 26, respectively. Shanks 27 and 28 are secured from longitudinal movement in. their respective slots by the buttons 23 and 24, and shoulders 31 and 32 at the upper ends of the respective hanger arms.

The rear side of the shelf 1 issupported by buttons 34, projecting rearwardly therefrom, and slotted brackets 35 which are similar in construction to the brackets 25 and 26.

In practice, the shelf is hung as shown in Fig. 1, and constitutes a much more convenient, capacious, and reliable support than the hammock which it is intended to supplant. When it is time to take down a berth and convert it into the customary seats, the shelf is quickly removed by lifting the buttons upward out of their respective brackets, after which said shelf is folded, as disclosed by Fig. 2, so that it may be packed away with the bed clothes.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, it is of course understood, that I reserve the right to make such changes in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the claim. l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A shelf comprising a pair of rectangular frames arranged end to end and hingedly connected for folding upwardly only, a mat filling for each frame set infrom the opposite faces thereof to provide depressed portions on the opposite sides of each frame, a

' frames and carrying angularly disposed buttons on their upper ends to detachably engage in the slots of the brackets, said hanger arms when inoperatively disposed lying in the depressed portions of the frames with their respective clips. 15

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS M. GARNEY. WVitnesses:

F. Gr. FISCHER, FRED C. FISCHER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

